NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Jesse Klimosko scores on a breakaway in the first period of the Cubs' 7-4, HJHL Finals Game 2 win Sunday at the Kinplex over the Red Deer Vipers.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Cubs have recorded 32 regular season and playoff wins in a year they’ve captured the South division and South playoff title. And they’re now just one more win from accomplishing a franchise first.
The Cubs raced out to a 2-0 lead over the Red Deer Vipers in the HJHL finals over the weekend, putting them in the driver’s seat of the best-of-five series and one win away from their first HJHL title.
“It was a team fought effort, it’s big, it’s huge for us,” head coach Trent Derzaph said. “We took their home ice advantage away (Saturday), came back (with) some tired legs, some tired bodies and we took it to them again (Sunday).
“I just said to the guys, ‘Let’s just enjoy the win tonight and let’s dial it in this week and be ready.’ One shift, one period, one game, that’s all it takes.”
The Cubs travelled to Red Deer on Saturday and took Game 1 convincingly 6-2, handing Red Deer just their sixth loss on home ice this season. Medicine Hat returned to the friendly confines of the Kinplex on Sunday, holding off the Vipers in a 7-4 Game 2 win.
“The win (Sunday) came down to when we had our chance, we be buried on chances,” captain Kyle Woolridge said. “We gave them a lot of opportunity but in the end, we worked hard and cleared the pucks, got back to the basics and played defence first. Coming out with the win is huge.”
They had six goal scorers Saturday, with Blake Girard, Keynan Cairns, Woolridge, Randen Collier, Ethan Burgeson and Josiah Jackson all with singles. Marlo DeRosa made 35 saves.
On Sunday, Jacob Hazzard had a goal and an assist and, again, six Cubs found the back of the net. Girard, Cairns, Nolan Sutherland, Jesse Klimosko, Hayden King and Jackson all scored. DeRosa stopped 32 shots for his seventh win of the 2026 playoffs.
Derzaph has cited a full-team effort as reason for success through the playoffs, relying on all aspects as they navigated through the Okotoks Bisons, Cochrane Generals and the first two finals games. It’s a path to success they’ll look to continue in Game 3 Saturday in Red Deer, chasing the hardest win of the series, Derzaph says.
“We’re just going to have to play a well-rounded, all-around game,” Derzaph said. “Our forechecks (have) been good, our backchecks been great, our goaltending has been awesome and our defence are awesome. We’ve got guys from all four lines that are scoring. So we just have to take it one shift at a time up there, just enjoy it and outwork them.
“It’s going to be the hardest game of the year, hands down, because they’ll be playing for their lives and so will we.”
The Cubs will also look to stay out of the penalty box. In Game 1, Red Deer scored on one of three power plays. On Sunday, the Cubs navigated 11 penalty kills, allowing just a lone goal.
While they’ll look to close out the series on the road, if needed a Game 4 would be Sunday back at the Kinplex. Derzaph says they could not have pulled out the Game 2 win without the packed crowd working as a seventh Cub.
“Our fans are amazing, there were more sirens and horns in here (Sunday) than I’ve heard all year,” Derzaph said. “We owe it to our fans for tonight to just keep us in this game and keep the positivity up.”
As they chase down the final win, looking for the franchise’s first championship since they won an IJHL title in 2001, the year before they joined the HJHL, Woolridge says confidence is at a high.
“We have a great team in there and we really want this,” Woolridge said. “That’s what it’s coming down to, the want to win and win this league.”
